The RaTS programme (Rothera Oceanographic and Biological Time Series) involves the long term monitoring of a nearshore marine environment and is focussed around two broad aims, 1) Provide a suite of oceanographic data that would provide environmental background to aid interpretation of the nearshore marine ecology and 2) Test a series of broad hypotheses concerning the pelagic-benthic coupling and environmental forcing of the nearshore environment. On an approximate weekly basis, an upper water column CTD cast is deployed with a discrete water sample taken at 15m. The water sample is analysed for macronutrients, chlorophyll, dissolved organic carbon, oxygen isotopes and microbial community.

Chief scientist

Andrew Clarke (British Antarctic Survey)

Project

RaTS

Coordinating body

BAS

Ocean/sea areas

General

South Atlantic Ocean

Specific

Ryder Bay northern Marguerite Bay Antarctica

Measurements

Physical oceanography

Water bottle stations

Quantity: number of stations = 1Description: full CTD profile and water sample at 15m

CTD stations

Quantity: number of stations = 1Description: full CTD profile and water sample at 15m

Density of the water columnVisible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water columnChlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodiesVertical spatial coordinatesSalinity of the water columnTemperature of the water columnReference numbers

Density of the water columnVisible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water columnChlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodiesVertical spatial coordinatesSalinity of the water columnTemperature of the water columnReference numbers